Patrick Madden  

Patrick Madden is President & CEO of Sister Cities International, a global citizen diplomacy network with over a half century of history. Sister Cities International has a membership of more than 600 U.S. cities partnered with nearly 2,000 communities in 136 countries on six continents. The organization’s membership represents over 100 million U.S. citizens nationally and millions more abroad. In this capacity, Madden represents a powerful voice of elected officials and citizen volunteer leaders who work to promote world peace and cultural understanding through economic and sustainable development programs, youth and education projects, and humanitarian assistance.

Named to the chief executive position in winter 2007, Madden has led delegations to Brazil, Egypt, France, Ghana, Holland, Jordan, Kuwait, Northern Ireland, Peru, and Qatar to advance the organization’s mission. Last year, he announced a $7.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help alleviate urban poverty in Africa.

Madden previously served in senior level external affairs positions at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters and Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery. In both positions he worked on a variety of international projects, including immigration matters for foreign artists touring the U.S., international exhibitions, and visa policy reforms.

He is a sought after voice in the fundraising community and is an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University, where he teaches graduate courses on fundraising. Among his accomplishments in this arena, he led an effort at the Smithsonian that secured a $30 million foundation gift to save a historic painting of George Washington.

Madden has served as the president of The Sinfonia Foundation, serves as a board member of the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange and is a Task Force Co-Chair for the 2010 Summit for Citizen Diplomacy. He holds two degrees from Ohio University.